To-do lists and planners are a dime a dozen in the App Store, which means it’s relatively difficult for a developer to make one stand out over all the rest. 19 year old Mathew Chan tries to do just that by making an app that’s essentially a 2-for-1 deal. Carpe is best described as a task timer and a planner all in one. Its purpose is to help iOS users plan out their time so that they actually stick to their schedules.

I’ve made schedules and plans in the past, but my procrastination often prevents me from sticking to what I plan to accomplish. With Carpe, I have a feeling that all will change. Using the app is quite simple. When users are ready to make a schedule, they just tap on the Edit button to enter the Edit Tasks screen. From there users tap Add to enter a task. A task gets assigned a name, a start time, and an end time. There are shortcuts to enter times in quickly and users are free to add as many tasks as they like. While on the Edit screen, they can also swipe to delete or change tasks just by pressing on them.

After tasks are edited, users simply tap on Done to get started with their day. Tasks can then be viewed on the main screen with the time remaining displayed for each one. The clean interface is easy on the eyes and allows users to see everything quickly without having to dig through the app. What’s also great besides a progress bar and timeline is that users receive notifications, too.

Carpe is most certainly on the right track. The ability to set a schedule and actually stick to it helps users stay less distracted and get more productive. While there’s plenty to love, there’s room for improvement. One feature that would make the app better would be the ability to save previous tasks. It’s up to users to go in and manually enter tasks, and the process would be easier if certain ones could be saved for quick access later. It would also be nice to be able to go in and remove and cancel tasks from the main screen without having to go into a separate Edit screen.

Carpe does what it promises, and that’s to keep users on track and keep distractions at a distance. The app isn’t loaded with features, but that’s the whole point; it’s simple, easy, and fast so users aren’t wasting time fiddling with the app and are instead spending more time on the tasks at hand. Anyone in need of a solid productivity planner will want to add this one to their collection today.

iPhone Screenshots

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